RFC 2314 (rfc2314) - Page 1 of 8


PKCS #10: Certification Request Syntax Version 1



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                       B. Kaliski
Request for Comments: 2314                       RSA Laboratories East
Category: Informational                                     March 1998


                 PKCS #10: Certification Request Syntax
                              Version 1.5

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

Overview

   This document describes a syntax for certification requests.

1. Scope

   A certification request consists of a distinguished name, a public
   key, and optionally a set of attributes, collectively signed by the
   entity requesting certification. Certification requests are sent to a
   certification authority, who transforms the request to an X.509
   public-key certificate, or a PKCS #6 extended certificate. (In what
   form the certification authority returns the newly signed certificate
   is outside the scope of this document. A PKCS #7 message is one
   possibility.)

   The intention of including a set of attributes is twofold: to provide
   other information about a given entity, such as the postal address to
   which the signed certificate should be returned if electronic mail is
   not available, or a "challenge password" by which the entity may
   later request certificate revocation; and to provide attributes for a
   PKCS #6 extended certificate. A non-exhaustive list of attributes is
   given in PKCS #9.

   Certification authorities may also require non-electronic forms of
   request and may return non-electronic replies. It is expected that
   descriptions of such forms, which are outside the scope of this
   document, will be available from the certification authority.






Kaliski                      Informational